GOES-R & JPSS: The Future of Weather Satellites

About the Blog

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-series (GOES-R) program is a key element of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mission. This new series of satellites will offer improved instrument technologies that will result in improved detection and observation of meteorological phenomena. This will assist the meteorological community to provide more accurate and timely forecasts. The first satellite in the GOES-R series was launched on 11/19/16. The next satellite, GOES-S, will launch in early March 2018, followed by GOES-T and GOES-U to round out the series.

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program is the next generation of NOAA’s polar orbiting environmental satellites. Through a combined effort between NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spanning 40 years, the first next-generation satellite launched in October 2011: The NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP). JPSS represents significant technological and scientific improvements in environmental monitoring and will help advance weather, climate, environmental, and oceanic sciences. JPSS provides operational continuity of the existing NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) along with SNPP. NOAA is responsible for running and operating the JPSS program, while NASA is responsible for developing and building the JPSS spacecraft. JPSS-1 is scheduled to launch in September 2017.

This blog serves as a vehicle to demonstrate the current and future capabilities of these satellite programs. Various satellite proving grounds have spun up at a few of the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers, including the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the Aviation Weather Center (AWC), the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC), and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB). Satellite Proving Ground product demonstrations are also taking place at various NWS Forecast Offices through coordination by the Operations Proving Ground (OPG) and the Alaska and Pacific Regions, with the Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB) participating in the training effort as we approach the launch of these next generation satellites.

Hi, I came to the blog via Jeff Masters’ link to your post about Haiyan’s lightning burst. The post is interesting , and I’m learning from the blog. Iw was surprised to find a commercial advertisement at the bottom of the page. I would have thought ads weren’t allowed on NOAA websites.

George, thank you for the comment. This blog is not operated by NOAA, but is used for Satellite Proving Ground purposes. Thank you for telling me about the advertisements as I don’t want those being on here. Please check back for more blog posts!

If it’s not asking a lot would you please modify your post headers CSS as it is not immediately clear what the post date is. Perhaps font-weight:bold; or #000000 would be better.
I hope I’m not over stepping, I just think it’s nice to see right away how current a post is.
Thank you!
Erin

Hi. Interesting blog. I love to study radar loops from the past including satellite imagery animations as well. Where do you find these radar animations of past events , so that I can find them as well. I am trying to do a study on certain events and was needing animated radar/satellite loops. Thanks!

Hi there, I work for the NWS and have some inquiries regarding satellite fire detection from July 17 in the NH and ME area…”Wondering if you can see if there was a fire in the North Fryeburg ME/ Chatham NH area yesterday afternoon. The local fire chief says heavy smoke was coming up some where between kimball pond and robbins ridge.”